Puntos de Interés
Municipality
Mármoles
Mámoles is a town situated in the municipality of Fariza, in the province of Zamora, near the border with Portugal. The village displays several curious vestiges of earlier times, as well as an enviable natural heritage, which is dominated by the Duero river.
The oldest archaeological sites in Mámoles are concentrated in the western part of the town. The most primitive of these sites are the scarce remains of a settlement from prehistoric times. Another noteworthy aspect is the village cemetery. The use of materials recovered from the original sanctuary of San Pedro to build the walls of the current structure is documented in the 12th-century documentary evidence.
Near is the village of La Poza, an ancient wine press carved from a granite outcrop that contributes to the enhancement of the heritage site. Winemaking has been practised in Mámoles for centuries, due to the favourable conditions offered by the area on the banks of the Duero River. There is also a Roman road to the south of the town.
The parish church of San Pedro is in the centre of Mámoles. The edifice was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style on a single floor, using ashlar masonry and masonry materials. It is covered with a gable and hipped roof. At the base of the Christian church is a complex three-span belfry with a weathervane. The interior of the church contains a centuries-old tabernacle, which dates from the 16th century, as well as mural paintings that have recently been discovered.
There are other valuable ethnological assets that have been preserved to the present day, such as the horseshoeing colt, the village's own farmhouse built with local granite stone or the Fuente del Sapo (Fountain of the Toad) of typical Sayago construction and the drinking trough next to it. The Serafín mill and the Santa Marina pontoon, situated on the banks of the Ribera stream, have also been preserved.
The privileged landscape that surrounds this town in Zamora is of considerable aesthetic merit and is clearly influenced by the passage of the Duero River, which has left its mark on the area. The waterfall of the Lastra de Aguas Bravas is a notable feature within this landscape unit. In these regions, the local fauna also includes the Zamorano-Leonese donkey, an indigenous species of woolly donkey that is being conserved.
The festivities in Mámoles are held on 8 January in honour of San Pedro, the town's patron saint, and on 21 August to celebrate the August festivities.